"Mick Schumacher isn’t special": Williams team principal James Vowles on why the German was rejected

Williams Racing team principal James Vowles said that Mick Schumacher did not get the seat as Logan Sargeant's replacement because the German was not special, so the team decided to "invest in the future". He was one of the three drivers in contention for a seat on the team.

The other two drivers were Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto. Lawson had impressed the entire F1 paddock with his stint with AlphaTauri last season, while Colapinto was a Williams junior driver in his rookie F2 season. According to reports, even admitted by Vowles later, the deal with Lawson didn't come through.

Between the remaining two options, Williams went with Franco Colapinto and gave the junior a chance. Talking to the media, when asked about Mick Schumacher getting snubbed, James clarified that both the German and the Argentinian, "fall into a category of not special". Thus, the team decided to give their youngster an opportunity.

“It’s a tough choice. So now the decision is do we put Mick in the car? I think Mick would have done a good job. Or do we invest in an individual that’s a part of our academy, that’s done hundreds or thousands of laps in our simulator, that’s driven the car, the only driver to have driven the car this year in FP1 and on the data that we can see from what he’s doing and how he’s performing, he’s making significant steps," said Vowles.

He added,

“And so it becomes a decision, do we invest in the future, or do we invest in someone else as a result of it? I think both would fall into a category of not special. I think we have to be straightforward about this. Mick isn’t special, he would have just been good."

Options dry up Mick Schumacher's return to F1

With the door at Williams also closing, Mick Schumacher's options are drying up very quickly. The driver has been linked with Alpine, a team with whom he's taking part in the WEC series. He even did a private test with the French team, alongside Jack Doohan.

F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands - Practice - Source: Getty

The call, however, went Doohan's way, and the Australian will be making his debut in 2025. The next option that opened up was Williams after the team fired Logan Sargeant midway through the season. However, that option is also out of the picture now.

The final door that might be open is the seat at Audi. The German driver could be associated with the brand and would be a good fit as well. However, Mattia Binotto was at the helm when Mick Schumacher was a Ferrari junior, and they did not have a cordial split.

At this stage, if Mick Schumacher has to return, the only place on the F1 grid for 2025 will be the seat at Sauber/Audi.